The Coalition for Positive Impact, organisers of the Igniting Dreams Prize, has disbursed GH¢38,500.00 to the Sixth Igniting Dreams (ID24) Prize winners during the awards ceremony held in Wa at the weekend.
The Northern Region-based C-CARE, a special education provider for students with specific academic challenges such as dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia, won the Gold Prize and received GH¢12,000.00.
Gbentek Digital Solutions, an information technology start-up in the Upper West Region, won the Silver Prize and received GH¢9,000.00, while the Bronze Prize of GH¢7,000.00 went to Diva Farms, an organic vegetable production farm in the Northern Region.
The Locker Room Sports, a sportswear production and retail company, also in the Northern Region, came Fourth with a prize cash of GH¢5,000.00.
The remaining participants of the pitch competition received GH¢1,000.00 each with ZebillaFarms in the Upper East Region receiving the People’s Choice Prize of GH¢1,500.00.
Out of the 138 youth-led businesses operating within the five regions of northern Ghana that entered the award scheme, 10 outstanding businesses were shortlisted to pitch their businesses.
Mr Maazu Bayuoni, the Founder and President of the Coalition for Positive Impact (CPI), speaking at the Igniting Dreams summit, said the programme had impacted more than 1,500 young people and 30 young entrepreneurs in northern Ghana over the last five years.
“Since our establishment, we have been able to reach out to over 1,500 young people across the Northern belt and supported 30 young entrepreneurs with seed funding and business development training,” he said.
He explained that the Coalition had mobilised over GH¢100,000 in resources to provide funding support for young entrepreneurs to sustain their businesses.
These young entrepreneurs, through the Igniting Dreams programme, had been able to scale up their businesses and created over 300 job opportunities for other youths.
Madam Maria Johana Yuorpor, the Chairperson of the ID24 Planning Committee, speaking at the opening of the pitch competition, encouraged young people to strive to make an impact on society and “not be too keen on the money aspect.”
She urged the participants to maximise the knowledge gained from the seminars/ trainings by the CPI to impact their lives and to have a rippling effect on society.
“I always preach the gospel that let’s look more for the impact and not for the money. The money will come someway somehow when you least expect it,” she noted.
Superintendent Mr Peter Lanchene Toobu (Rtd), the Member of Parliament for Wa West, said he supported the Igniting Dreams Prize initiative because of its potential impact on young businesses.
He said holding many degrees would be meaningless if those certificates could not impact the life of the holder and society, touting innovation, change, and entrepreneurship as the way to improve one’s life.
“Many people who are rich today didn’t begin looking for money. Look for the social problem, provide an innovative solution to that problem and money will be chasing you,” Mr Toobu advised.
The Sangu Delle Foundation, Noni Hub, Rabito Clinic, DLight Space, Girls Initiative Ghana, and Steward Reigns Photography supported the event, held on the theme: “Developing Northern Ghana through Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership”.
GNA